Gas-making apparatus.



' Patented Ap. 8, i902. H. SPENCER.

GAS MAKING APPARATUS.

` (Appucationfaed oct. 2, 1900.) (No Model.)

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Nirnn STATES PATENT FFICE.

HENRY SPENCER, OF ELYRIA, COLORADO.

GAS-MAKING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,373, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed October 2, 1900.' Serial No. 31,809. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY SPENCER, of the town of Elyria, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented anew and improved smoke-consuming stove and method of making illuminating-gas with an ordinary stove or furnace and which will extract a greater amount of heat from coal than any stove or furnace heretofore made or used and also act as a smoke-consumer, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gas-making stoves or furnaces, my object being to make it practicable for individuals and others to manufacture their own gas for illuminating purposes when they are so located that they cannot have access to the ordinary gas plants.

My further object is to provide an apparatus which shall be simple in construction, economical in cost, reliable, durable, and efiicient in use; and to these ends the invention consists of the features, arrangements, l

and. combinations hereinafter described and claimed, all of which will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings,

in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front View of my improved gas-making apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the same on the line c, Fig. 1, the parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken through the door and the front end of the retort. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken through the refining-pipe, showing the wiregauze partitions or diaphragms. Fig. 5 is a cross section taken through the same. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the front plate of the retort-door.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the fire-grate; 6, the combustion-chamber or tire-box; 7, the ash-pit, and 8 and 9 the doors leading to the fire-box and ash-pit, respectively. Located directly above the iire-box is the retort 10, whose bottom 10:L is in direct contact with the heat and iire in the combustionchamber. The front end of the retort is closed by a door 12, consisting of a plate 12, a layer 12c of asbestos, and a ring 12d to hold the asbestos in place, the three parts being bolted together. The door is held in place by an arm 13, hinged at 14, and a locking-dog 15, hinged to the arm 13 and'arranged to engage an exterior lug 10C, formed on the body of the stove. Plate 12a of the door is centrally provided with a cam-face 12g, adapted to be engaged by a lever-arm 16, provided with a hub 16a, having a cam-face the counterpart of the cam-face l2g on the door. This hub is pivoted on a studof the door-plate. The function of the lever-arm is to secure the door of the retort tightly in place, to the end that any escape of gas may be prevented.

The retort 10 when in use is closed except where the gas escapes therefrom through an opening 10(1 to a pipe o r conduit 17, leading to a reningcoil 18, provided interiorly at -suitable intervals with wire-gauze strainers or diaphragme 19. (See Figs. 4 and 5.) The sections or branches of the coil are arranged one above another and inclined to facilitate the downward flow of the liquid product resulting from the destructive distillation of the coal in the retort. This liquid is carried to the refining-coil with the gas and is strained out as the gas passes through the wire-gauze daphragms of the coil and flows downwardly through the conduit 17 into the retort by way of the opening 10d and is converted into gas, whereby the quantity of gas generated in the retort is greatly increased. After the gas has passed through the wiregauze strainers of the coil it is a thoroughly-refined product and forms an excellentquality of illuminatinggas. Above the coil 18 a valve 20 is located in the pipe 2l, leading from the coil, and beyond this valve is a burner 22.

When my improved apparatus is in use, coal is placed in the retort through the front end, the door being opened. The door is then closed and tightly locked through the instrumentality of the hinged bar 13, the dog 15, and the lever-arm 16. A fire is then made in the fire-box or combustion-chamber 6, and the heat and flame therefrom acts directly o n the bottom of. the retort, and passes up around it on both sides, (see arrows in Fig. 1,) and thence up through an opening above the retort and through a chamber to the smokeoutlet 26 and thence to the chimney or stack through a conduit. (Not shown.) The heat to which the retort is subjected results in the destructive distillation of the coal therein, and the liberated gas passes upward through the opening 10d into the pipe 17, and thence into the coil 18, within which it is refined through the instrumentality of the wire-gauze strainers. A considerable quantity of liquid is strained out of the gas or condensed during the refining operation and flows back into the interior of the retort through the gas-pipe 17 and is converted into gas. After the coal charge has been exhausted of its gas the coke product is removed from the retort and used forfuel in the fire-box to generate gas from the next charge of coal in the retort.

Whenever during the gas-generating operation it becomes necessary to open the door of the retort, a valve 26 in a pipe 27 leading from the pipe 17 is opened. This pipe 27 leads downwardlyand opens into the fire-box, in which the gas is consumed or passes out with the smoke and products of combustion, thus preventing the escape of gas through the open door of the retort, as would be the case if a communication between the fire-box and retort were not effected.

A valve 30 is placed in the pipe 17 above the connection with the pipe 27. This valve 30 is normally open to allow gas to pass out of the retort and the liquid to flow from the refining-coil into the retort. It is closed, however, before opening the door of the retort to prevent any liquid from flowing into the retort while the door is open, since it is not desirable that the gas-generating operation should be carried on while the retortdoor is open. The function of the pipe 27 is to allow any gas that may be in the retort to escape to the fire-box before opening the door. It will of course be understood that the valve 2G is closed during the generation of gas or when the apparatusis performingits normal function.

The function of the burner 22 is to burn the smoke that may issue from the stove and render a connection with a chimney or stack unnecessary.

A trapped conduit 35 is connected with the pipe 17 and may be employed to carry away the liquid from the refining coil or pipe and discharge it into a suitable receptacle when it is not desired to convert it into gas. Normally or when the liquid flows into the retort the free extremity of this conduit is closed b v a detachable cap 36.

One of the novel features of my invention consists in returning the liquid matter to the retort to be converted into gas and also to destroy the noxious fumes which this liquid when exposed gives off. This feature is novel with me regardless of the apparatus employed for refining the gas.

It must be understood that I do not limit myself to the use of wire-gauze strainers in the refining-pipe, since any woven or meshed material or perforated metal through which the liquid may percolate may be employed. It must also be understood that I do not limit the invention to use in connection with stoves, since it is evident that it may be advantageously employed in connection with locomotive, marine, and other engines, also in gasworks and in anyother relation where it is desired to make gas.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a gas-making stove or furnace, the combination with a fire-box and a retort, of a pipe connected with the retort, and means located within the pipe for straining and refining the gas as it passes therethrough, the refining-pipe being elevated above the retort and arranged to allow the liquid strained out of the gas in the refining-pipe, to flow back into the retort, to be converted into gas.

2. In a gas-making apparatus, the combination with a fire-box and retort, of a pipe located above the retort and connected therewith, said pipe being provided with a series of stlainers for purfying the gas,the strainerpipe being arranged to allow the liquid which is separated from the gas during the refining operation, to iiow back into the retort.

3. In a gas-making apparatus, the combination with the fire-box and retort, of a coil of pipe arranged above the retort and containing a series of wire-gauze strainers, the

said coil being connected with the retort to allow the gas resulting from the destructive distillation of the coal therein, to pass to the coil, the arrangement being such that the liquid separated from the gas during the straining operation, flows back into the retort.

4t. In a gas-making apparatus the combination with a retort, of a pipe connected with the retort, and a series of strainers located within the pipe forstraining and refining the gas as it passes therethrough.

5. In a gas-making apparatus the combination with a retort, of a pipe connected with the retort, a series of strainers located within the pipe for straining and refining the gas as it passes therethrough, and means connected with the refining-pipe to allow the liquid resulting from the refining operation, to escape therefrom for gas-making or other purposes.

IIENRY SPENCER.

Witnesses:

GEO. ALLAN SMITH, MILES H. M cLAUGHLiN.

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